Study Cites Mangroves as Carbon Sinks

Iloilo City – Protected mangroves in this city have demonstrated the potential to serve as carbon sink by sequestering and storing considerable amounts of atmospheric carbon to mitigate the impacts of climate change, according to a state university study.

The study, “Species Diversity, Above and Below Ground Biomass, and Carbon Stock Assessments of Selected Mangrove Forests in Iloilo City, Philippines” by Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba and Allen Grace Niego of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, was one of six researches presented at the Regional Research Utilization Forum held today at the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region VI here.

The study, which was presented by Dr. Sadaba at the forum, has also shown that it is possible to build low emission alternatives to develop economic resilience and sustainability projects at a minimal cost.

It determined the diversity of mangroves and quantified the amount of above and below ground biomass and carbon stored among the selected sites of mangrove forest, which included 8 sites in four barangays of this city.

The rapid economic development being undergone by the city was acknowledged by the study. Despite the economic stride, however, the study pointed out that the local government has long recognized the value of conserving and protecting its environment, including in particular its remaining mangroves that provide ecosystem services, biodiversity, and livelihood opportunities.
While a number of studies have been done to assess the carbon stock of mangroves in the country, the UPV study said none has been done in a highly urbanized setting.

The forum was organized by NEDA-6 in celebration of the Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) this September. The researches presented pertained to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in keeping with the 2016 DPRM theme of “Investing in Risk Reduction for a Resilient Philippines”. (JSC/PIA6)